Body odor is generally caused by fatty acids on skin and by malodors from microbial sources. Numerous attempts have been made to control or absorb body odors, like depriving the moisture environment required by microorganisms responsible for body odor, for example by using powders and/or antiperspirants. Some attempts tried to use compounds such as EDTA to inhibit the formation of such fatty acids. Masking body odors with other odors or perfumes may be another alternative, even though perfumes are often inadequate to fully conceal body odors and may be irritating to some users.
Recently there has been a further growing demand for high level deodorizing functions provided in fibrous products such as clothing, household articles, various personal care products and the like. Conventionally methods for providing deodorizing characteristics on fibrous materials are by kneading a deodorant substance into the interior of polymers during synthetic fiber yarn production, for example as described in Japanese patent no. JP-B-7-81206. Alternatively, a deodorizing agent may be fixed to the surfaces of fibers with a binder, for example as described in Japanese patent publication no. JP-A-7-189120. However, for personal care products like sanitary napkin, pantyliner, diaper, incontinence pad, interlabial article, tampon, shoe liner and etc., it may be desirable to provide controlled release of deodorant at a certain temperature, say around 35° C. This may reduce the loss of deodorant substances, which are caused by factors such as evaporation and penetration.